ESL has officially announced IEM Beijing 2026, marking the return of top-tier competitive Counter-Strike to China’s capital for the first time since 2019.
After seven years away, Beijing is back on the IEM map, and based on what has been revealed so far, it’s all set to be a tournament to remember.
The last time IEM took place in Beijing, the legendary Astralis lineup took home the trophy in a dominant fashion after taking down 100Thieves 3-0 in the grand finals. It has set an incredibly high bar for the Chinese CS2 community, who will undoubtedly be keen to see whether this edition can match the legacy.
“Over the past years, we’ve experienced the incredible passion and energy of Chinese fans first-hand,” Marc Winther, Director of CS2 Esports at ESL-FACEIT group, said in a statement. “With IEM Beijing 2026, we’re excited to take things to the next level.”
CS2 IEM Beijing 2026 Dates
As confirmed by ESL, IEM Beijing 2026 is scheduled to kick off on November 2, 2026. The tournament will see six full days of intense CS2 action before coming to an end on November 8th. It will mark one of the last major events for the shooter this year.
CS2 IEM Beijing 2026 Venue
The IEM Beijing 2026 CS2 event will be held at the Bloomage Biotech Biohyalux ECM Arena in Beijing. The games will be played in front of a live audience for all six days of play, and the event will feature a 360-degree stage design.
CS2 IEM Beijing 2026 Prize Pool
The IEM Beijing 2026 tournament will see 16 elite CS2 teams competing for a share of the $1,250,000 USD pool. This makes IEM Beijing 2026 one of the highest-paying events in the entire IEM series.
Needless to say, IEM Beijing 2026 has every ingredient needed to be a landmark event, and the CS2 community will undoubtedly be looking forward to seeing some of the best competitive CS played in one of the world’s most iconic cities when November rolls around.